If assets were declared, why is it that we didn’t know who they were?

If assets were declared, why is it that we didn’t know who they were?

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 29: Assam Government spokesman Himanta Biswa Sarma today claimed that some ministers of the State had already submitted reports of their assets to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. He, however, stopped short of naming the ministers who, according to the government, had already submitted the reports of their assets to the Chief Minister.

The official version of none other than the Chief Minister was that as soon as the ministers submitted the reports of their assets to him, the reports would be made available on the State Government website. However, till the filing of this report, no such reports were seen on the State Government website. Talking to newsmen in Guwahati today, Sarma cited ‘‘tax-related matters’’ as the reason behind the delay on the part of the ministers to submit the reports of their assets to the Chief Minister.

The issue of ministers’ assets has been hitting headlines since August last, but the State Government has not at all been serious on the matter. Even at today’s press meet, Sarma was very casual while responding to queries on the assets of ministers. In a casual manner he said that some of the ministers had already submitted reports of their assets, but he did not think it necessary to disclose who the ministers were.

Such a casual approach is also visible whenever the Chief Minister addresses the press on the issue of assets declaration by the State’s ministers. Now the question is: If some of the ministers have indeed submitted the reports of their assets to him, why has he not disclosed that before the media?

source: sentinel assam